The Big Half: Rob Thorpe first home for Bishop’s Stortford Running Club in London half-marathon
After a summer of sporadic racing for Bishop’s Stortford Running Club (BSRC) members, the autumn race season kicked off with summer weather and temperatures of up to 27C for The Big Half in London.
The 13.1-mile race, organised by London Marathon Events, saw more than 20,000 runners wind their way from north of Tower Bridge to the Cutty Sark.
First home for BSRC, only around 20 minutes behind Mo Farah, was Rob Thorpe in 1:24:03 for a personal best (PB) of 46 seconds.
Jane Malone also secured a PB by 8 seconds to finish in 2:22:01. Phoenyx Harritt was a sub 3:15 pacer and finished in 3:14:26.
Also on Sunday, Chris Chew completed the Wissey Half Marathon, which started and finished in Oxborough in Norfolk, in 1:34:39, finishing second in the MV55 category. This was straight off the back of his midweek run in the Hatfield 5k, where he clocked 20:02.
Jonathan Derrick had qualified to undertake the Ben Nevis Race, a 16k which encompassed 1,355 metres of elevation and the same of descent. He finished in 2:43:20.
On Sunday August 20, John Kennedy took on The Big Pilgrimage Marathon in Hampshire and finished in 5:35 as 8th MV50, John Ivens proudly took his green and gold vest to the Aldeburgh 10k, completing a sandy and fairly challenging course in 48 minutes, and Bex Dolan ventured to Guernsey to tackle the 13k Tower to Tower (Vazon to L’ancresse) in aid of Guernsey Alzheimer’s Association, although the race turned out to be over 14k along the coast path and she clocked 1:22:33.
The previous Sunday (August 13), Julia Fonnereau completed the Thames Marathon swim, 13k down the river from Henley to Marlow, in 4:20:48, which included exiting at three locks, walking round and getting back in the water. Adam Beaumont headed to the track for the Watford Open where he competed in the 3000m, finishing in 9:27:40 for a PB by 6 seconds.
On Saturday August 5, Jonathan Haynes headed to Lincolnshire for the Bassingham Bash 5-mile road race. There was a relatively small field of 120, but with some notable quality at the top end, including GB athlete Gemma Steel. Jonathan finished 54th in 30:38 to claim the club V65 record by one second.
Inese Stan signed up to her first full Iron-distance triathlon of 140 miles, the Outlaw Nottingham on July 31, and completed it in 13 hours and 35 minutes. She credited the club swimming coaches for her successful completion.
Beginners’ course graduate Sarah Smith ran her first half marathon, the Lea Valley Sundowner, finishing in 2:27:48.
Pawel Sajdak took on what was supposed to be his first triathlon, at Castle Howard on July 23, but due to heavy rainfall and safety concerns it ended up being an aquathlon. He finished in 1:55:03. Also at the end of July, Jamie Smith completed the Chase The Sun Olympic Park 10k in 46:13.
